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Washington Redskins' London Fletcher more than an Iron Man action figure; he's a man of action

Washington Redskins linebacker London Fletcher (59), a Cleveland native, talks with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during training camp at Redskins Park in 2010. Fletcher has earned a reputation as one of the most durable and respected linebackers in the league.
(Photo by AP)

ASHBURN, Va. -- Robert Griffin III loves superheroes. He reportedly owns a collection of more than 1,000 comic-book-inspired figurines, and on the night he won the Heisman Trophy a year ago he wore Superman socks to the ceremony.

So when Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan was searching for the perfect locker to house the franchise's most important rookie in a generation, he thought, "Why not put Griffin next to the NFL's reigning Iron Man?"

Cleveland native London Fletcher might not be as dynamic as the Incredible Hulk, Captain America or Spider-Man -- three of the six plastic action figures that adorn the shelves of Griffin's locker at Redskins Park -- but the 37-year-old linebacker embodies similar characteristics of fabled crime fighters.

Fletcher is virtually indestructible, having played in 237 consecutive regular-season games, the league's longest active streak that he shares with Tampa's Ronde Barber. He possesses a remarkable back story, an undrafted free agent from John Carroll University who overcame a tragic childhood to reach the NFL.

He is a wealthy philanthropist akin to Bruce Wayne. His London's Bridge Foundation supplies mentoring and charitable donations to underprivileged kids in the target communities of Cleveland, Washington, Charlotte and Buffalo.

"Why wouldn't you want to put Robert next to the greatest professional I have ever been around and maybe (one of the) top 10 in the league?" Redskins special teams ace Lorenzo Alexander said. "He has been in the league for a long time, has experienced a lot in his life and has an IQ that's out of this world. Off the field, London is one of the best individuals you will ever be around. That's the guy you want the future of your franchise sitting next to."

Fletcher comes home this weekend to the warm embrace of family and friends and to play a vitally important game against the Browns, the team he rooted for while growing up in a three-story house at the corner of Giddings Road and Duluth Avenue. The Pro Bowler is bringing along Griffin, the electrifying rookie quarterback who has the Redskins (7-6) playing meaningful late-season games for the first time since 2008.

Griffin is nursing a sprained knee, but he seems to be drawing on the recuperative powers of the Redskins' defensive team captain, who's been playing for weeks on a bum ankle.

"I won't be answering any questions about my health," Fletcher said to reporters Thursday. "Nobody feels great at this point in time, but it's December football."

As the media members fell away, Fletcher was asked about Griffin. The undersized linebacker smiled as he gazed at the assembly of superheroes in his young neighbor's locker. Beyond the skills that fill the SportsCenter telecasts, Fletcher appreciates the humility and hard work Griffin adds to the room.

Fletcher was reminded that some star players have an empty locker next to theirs to afford them more space.

"I guess somebody decided to put him here, and it's worked out well," Fletcher said rubbing his hand across a beard speckled with gray. "I've never been a two-locker type of guy, anyway. I like having the company."

More than intangibles

Redskins nose tackle Barry Cofield, 28, can't recall a time he didn't know the name London Fletcher.

Growing up in Cleveland Heights, Cofield was aware of Fletcher's rough childhood: The murder of his sister, Kecia, in 1987. The drug addiction of his late mother, Linda, which followed her daughter's death. The power to conquer his environment.

"London is one of the great Cleveland stories -- a hard-luck kid who overcame his circumstances and not-so-great neighborhood to take an unorthodox path to the NFL," Cofield said. "He is a Cleveland legend in my opinion."

But Cofield said Fletcher's well-chronicled rise to the league from Villa Angela-St. Joseph and John Carroll sometimes obscures what he's achieved during 15 seasons in stops with St. Louis, where he won a Super Bowl, Buffalo and Washington.

Fletcher led all NFL players in tackles during the 2000s, but wasn't named to his first of three consecutive Pro Bowls until 2009.

"A lot of time what gets overlooked with London is he's a helluva player and great athlete," Cofield said. "It's about more than just the intangibles."

It is a sentiment echoed in locker rooms throughout the league.

"He's been doing it for 15 years and he's got a streak going that's unbelievable," Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson. "I think he is the most underrated linebacker since he's been in the league. I've got him high on my list, I've always followed his career and I'm a huge fan of London Fletcher."

The Redskins rank seventh in run defense this season and Fletcher is a primary reason. His 109 tackles are the 10th-most in the league. His three interceptions are tied for the most among the NFL's top 50 tacklers.

"He's one of those guys you have to know where he's at on the field," Browns rookie halfback Trent Richardson said. "I don't say that about too many guys . . . He's still moving good. He's still getting by like he is 23 or 24."

'Top Dog'

Nobody in life is bulletproof. Fletcher knows that better than most given his upbringing. So he doesn't dwell on the consecutive-games run which began with his first NFL debut in 1998.

Fletcher and Barber are six games from matching the all-time Iron Man streak for defensive players since 1970 held by linebacker Bill Romanowski (1988-2003). Former quarterback Brett Favre played 297 straight regular-season games from 1992-2010.

"I don't want to say I take a lot of pride in it," said Fletcher, who stands just 5-foot-10 but weighs 248 pounds. "I just want to be out there with my teammates. I just try to do everything I can to be out there on Sundays and help my team win a ball game. I have been blessed to be able to do it for so long."

Fletcher has endured ankle and hamstring problems this season. He also had a brief stretch dealing with balance issues. Some observers thought his streak might end on Thanksgiving Day as Fletcher was hobbled by an ankle injury. He played on 61 of the Redskins' 82 defensive snaps, registering four tackles and an interception.

"You realize it's a true testament to him how tough he is and just how well he takes care of himself," Griffin recently told reporters. "There are guys out there that take care of their bodies really well and still do get injured. But it makes it so special that he's a guy that's been in the league for a long time and been able to stay healthy and be productive at the same time."

In training camp, Griffin earned the respect of the locker room by seeking out Fletcher and notifying him he was willing to follow the linebacker's every lead. The quarterback was unavailable for comment Thursday as he speaks to the media only one day a week prior to games.

He said recently one of his highlights was receiving a compliment from Fletcher moments after Griffin led a late field-goal drive during the Redskins' 38-31 win over Dallas on Thanksgiving. It was like Batman tossing Boy Wonder one of his bat utility belts after a job well done.

The Redskins possess many leaders, but only one voice.

"I was voted one of the extra captains at midseason," Cofield said. "People come to me and I go to London for guidance. He's the top dog."

'Starr' struck

Fletcher laughed as he thought about one of his few unpaid debts over more than a decade of giving back. Several years ago, he promised his old St. Joe's and John Carroll basketball coach Mike Moran a Redskins jersey for his grandson.

The "little guy" is now wearing a men's large.

"Tell him I'm going to give it to him when he least expects it," Fletcher said.

Moran knows of few athletes more generous with their money and time. He estimates Fletcher has donated more than $100,000 to his alma maters. A VASJ spokeswoman confirmed Fletcher endows multiple scholarships and also supports the football and basketball programs.

At the heart of his charitable work is the London's Bridge Foundation. A year ago, Fletcher won the Bart Starr Award, presented annually to the player who demonstrates outstanding character and leadership.

He learned the meaning of altruism through Cleveland-area philanthropists Leonard Schwartz and Charlotte Kramer, who helped pay his VASJ tuition and mentored him through difficult times. Their spirit drives Fletcher and his wife, Charne, who have three children: Paige, Steele and Brooke.

"They definitely came along at right time in my life," Fletcher said. "There are a lot of people who have played roles in getting me to this point. As far as giving back to help a kid who might be in the situation I was in, that's something I want to do."

Perhaps one day the Redskins will produce a London Fletcher action figure. You can bet there's a quarterback waiting to add it to his collection.

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